Electric cigar lighters

ABSTRACT

An electric cigar lighter having a socket assembly and a lighter plug including a heating element in said socket assembly. Thermostatic means for interrupting the electric current through the socket assembly in the event the lighter plug is held in energizing position for a longer time than needed to bring the heating element of the plug to incandescence.

United States Patent Barnes, Jr. et a1.

[ 1 May9, 1972 [54] ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTERS [72] Inventors: RobertGilbert Barnes, Jr.; Arthur Warren Schnlck, both of Meriden, Conn.

[73] Assignee: AMF Incorporated [221 Filed: Oct. 26, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 83,876

52] U.S.Cl ..2l9/265,2l9/267,219/512, 337/103 51 Int.Cl. ..F23g 7/24 58FieldofSearch ..219/263,264,265,267,512; 337/103 [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,262,484 11/1941 Bahr ..219/265 2,704,318 3/195 5Jorgensen et a1, ..219/264 3,419,703 12/1968 Sicard.... ..219/2653,439,148 4/1969 Horwitt ....219/265 3,532,849 10/1970 Horwitt ..219/265Primary Examiner-Velodymyr Y. Mayewsky An0rney-George W. Price andThomas M. Hammond [57] ABSTRACT An electric cigar lighter having asocket assembly and a lighter plug including a heating element in saidsocket assembly. Thermostatic means for interrupting the electriccurrent through the socket assembly in the event the lighter plug isheld in energizing position for a longer time than needed to bring theheating element of the plug to incandescence.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMM 9 I972 3,662,153

INVENTORS ROBERT GILBERT BARNES, JR.

ARTHUR WARREN SCHNICK ATTORNEY This invention relates to electric cigarand cigarette lighters. More particularly, the invention relates to acigar or cigarette lighter suitable for use chiefly on automobiles andsimilar vehicles.

Generally, electric cigar and cigarette lighters useful on automobilesand similar vehicles comprise a receptacle or socket assembly fixed onthe instrument panel or other convenient part of the vehicle and includea plug member normally carried in the socket and removable therefrom foruse. The plug has a heating element which is made incandescentelectrically when required.

Early in the development of such lighters, the need for a device toprotect them against overheating and abnormal current draw with anattendant danger to fire was recognized. This need is still important inpresent automotive manufacture, especially in those instances whereinstrument panels are made of plastic materials, since overheating maynot only present a danger of fire but also may cause melting of theplastic instrument panel.

In order to meet this need for heat protective means, developmentresulted in a number of forms of fuses and circuit breakers mounted onor adjacent the socket and behind the mounting thereof or in the plugper se. Many of these devices have to be replaced or reset manually byworking behind the mounting. While cigar lighter circuits of suchvehicles are protected by fuses or circuit breakers, this protection islimited to abnormal current draw but is not responsive to overheatingconditions of the lighter. Others are reset by insertion of a toolthrough the socket. Still others are automatically reset. Most of. thesedevices are somewhat complex in structure, being therefore, relativelyexpensive to manufacture, as well as having other drawbacks. Forexample, where the circuit breaker is incorporated in the plug per se,no protection is afiorded to the socket assembly. Insertion of a toolthrough the socket is disadvantageous in that there is a danger ofdamaging the thermostatic contact by distortion or burning through to ashort. Consequently, there still exists a need for interrupting thecircuit through a simplified means responsive to heat at the lighterwhich is easily reset and which allows the flow of current through thelighter circuit to be simply and easily restored. The present inventionprovides such a device.

In order to understand the present invention. more fully, reference isdirected to the following specification which is to be taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal center-line section of one embodiment of thecigar lighter of this invention with the plug member in normal storageposition and partially in section to show the heating element and theshort circuit means for subsequently interrupting the circuit shown inclosed circuit position, in full lines and in circuit shorting orinterrupting position in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the cigar lighter of the invention takenthrough Line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal center-line section of another embodiment ofthe cigar lighter of the invention with the circuit shorting orinterrupting means shown in closed circuit position in full lines and incircuit shorting interrupting position in broken lines; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inner shell or socket of the cigar lightershown in FIG. 1.

Referring now more specifically to FIG. 1, a cigar lighter according tothe invention comprises an outer tubular metallic shell or clampingshell 10, having reinforcing ribs 12 and a transverse end wall 14 whichpartially closes one end of the shell. A metallic tab 16 suitablyadapted for connection of a ground wire of a conventional lightercircuit (not shown) is fixed permanently in any convenient manner, suchas b soldering or welding to the end of the shell partially closed bywall 14. A second metallic tubular shell or socket 18 of somewhatsmaller diameter than shell 10 having an out-tumed bezel 20, atransverse end wall 22 partially closing one end and screw threads 24 onthe partially closed end is disposed within the clamping shell 10 and isthreadably engaged therewith. Shell 18 has part of its surface removedto form an opening 26 and a spring tab 28, having the tip portiondeformed to provide a catch 30 as shown more particularly in FIG. 4. Asimilar opening and tab is located opposite that illustrated and isgenerally designated by numerals 32 and 34 in FIG. 1.

The partially closed end, that is, lower end or inner end of shell 18 isequipped with a number of slots to accommodate tabs 36 extending downfrom a circular retainer 38 which has an intumed lip 40 engaging thelower shoulder 42 of a ceramic insulator 44 which is provided with slots46. Relative rotation between the ceramic insulator and the retainer isprevented by engagement of the inturned lip 40 around the periphery ofthe insulator 44 which is equipped with a central opening 48 throughwhich passes a metallic conductor bolt 50 having a radially extendingshoulder 52 at one end and screw threads 54 at the other. The bolt 50,adapted to be connected to the protected or fused hot side of aconventional lighter circuit (not shown), passes through the insulator44 and by cooperation of the shoulder 52 and nut 55 engaging the screwthreads thereon is secured as shown without contacting the othermetallic parts of the socket assembly. A bimetal contact 56 is shapedand adapted for engagement with the heating element cup 58 of theremovable plug member 60 which is of known construction and not shown inexplicit detail. The contact 56 preferably comprises a plurality ofbimetallic thermostatic arms 62 adapted for conventional cooperativelatching and unlatching engagement with the heating element cup 58.Contact 56 is mounted on bolt 50 and firmly secured, together with aplain washer 64 and a special washer 66 against the upper shoulder 68 ofthe ceramic insulator by the heading or roll over 70 with the partsbeing placed in the order shown in the drawing. The special washer 66has axially extending tongues 72 which enter slots 46 of insulator 44 toprevent relative rotation of these parts. Special washer 66 also has aplurality of radially extending arms 74 and acts as a conductorfunctioning as a relight base as explained more fully hereinbelow.

As mentioned above, shell or socket 18 is of somewhat smaller diameterthan clamping shell 10. Consequently, there is a space 76 between theshells. Disposed in space 76 between the shells is a metallic sleeve orring 78. The sleeve or ring 78 is simply pressed into place and furthersecured by pressing a dimple 80 into the clamping shell 10 as shown.Sleeve or ring 78 can be made out of a wide variety of materials, suchas brass, aluminum, galvanized steel or the like. The latter, however,is preferable. Moreover, the sleeve or ring 78 can be of varyingthickness, thereby permitting timing of the circuit to be varied sinceit is this element with which the bimetallic arms of contact 56 comeinto contact as shown by broken lines 82 upon overheating and passingthrough the slots 26 and 32 of tubular shell or socket 18 to create ashort which causes interruption of the lighter circuit, as explained ingreater detail below.

In FIG. 3 of the drawing, a variation of the embodiment of the structureof FIG. I is illustrated. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, themetallic ring or sleeve 78 is eliminated and the bimetallic arms 62 passthrough the slots 26 and 32 of the tubular shell or socket 18 and comeinto contact with the clamping shell 10. In such a construction, thediameter of the clamping shell 10 can be varied slightly in order tovary the timing of the circuit. Generally, however, the diameter of theclamping shell 10 in this embodiment is preferably somewhat smaller thanin the embodiment wherein the sleeve or ring 78 is employed.

It is to be noted, moreover, that in accordance with the presentinvention slots 26 and 32 can be made smaller in size or even eliminatedso that the bimetallic arms 62 upon overheating simply expand radiallyto come into contact with tubular shell or socket 18, rather thanpassing through the slots and thereby causing a short to interrupt thelighter circuit.

In assembling the various elements of the device of this invention, theinsulator 44 is fixed in the socket or metallic tubular shell 18 so thatthe slots 46 and in the insulator are in register with the openings orslots 26 and 32 of shell 18. Likewise, in fixing the contact 56 and thespecial washer 66 on the metallic conductor bolt 50, the contact 56 andspecial washer 66 are aligned so that the bimetallic arms 62 of contact56 are directly above axially extending tongues 72 of the specialwasher. In this manner, when the assemblage of the contact 56, specialwasher 66 and bolt 50 is inserted into shell 18, the axially extendingtongues 72 are set into slots 46 of the insulator and the thermostaticarms 62 of the contact will be in register with the openings 26 and 32of the metallic tubular shell or socket 18. In final assembly in anautomobile or similar vehicle, the cigar lighter of the invention islocated in a suitable opening in the instrument panel and bolt 50 isattached in any convenient manner to a lead wire from a current source.Likewise, metallic tab 16 is connected in a convenient manner to aground lead. In use the lighter of this invention operates as follows.

Upon insertion of the plug 60 into the socket or tubular shell 18 to itsfurthest depth electric current flows through bolt 50 and into specialwasher 66 and contact 56 through contact arms 62, which have becomelatched to the lighter cup 58 and thence through the heating element 59.The heating element 59 is thus brought to incandescence and the currentpasses through the various turns of the heating element in the knownmanner to the center of the plug 60, through the metallic tubular socket18 to the clamping shell and thence to ground through metallic tab 16.In the event excess heating or overheating, the bimetallic arms 62 moveoutwardly through slots or openings 26 and 32 and come into contact withsleeve or ring 78 and thereby creating a short to subsequently break orinterrupt the protected lighter circuit. In those cases where sleeve orring 78 is not employed, the bimetallic arms move outwardly until theycome in contact with clamping shell 10 with like result, that is,interrupting the lighter circuit by creating a short. On the other hand,where slots 26 and 32 are made smaller or even eliminated, expansion ofmetallic arms 62 create a short by coming in direct contact with shellor socket 18. In all cases mentioned overloading of the circuit takesplace and a fuse is blown. Upon cooling, the bimetallic arms retract totheir normal position automatically and upon replacement of the fuse inthe lighter circuit the lighter is ready for use once again. Asmentioned hereinbefore, the thickness of sleeve or ring 78, the diameterof the clamping shell 10 or the diameter of the metallic tubular shellor socket 18 can be varied in order to adjust the timing of the circuit.Under conditions of normal use the size of these elements is adjusted sothat upon energization of the heating element 59 of the plug 60 to agiven temperature, bimetallic arms 62 and expand to permit retraction ofthe plug 60 but with such expansion being insufiicient to bring the arms62 into contact with either the clamping shell 10, metallic sleeve orring 78 or the shell 18. Consequently, the lighter circuit in such asituation will not be interrupted as the result of a short and thelighter is ready for normal reuse upon cooling of the bimetallic arms 62which then retract to their normal latching position. However, even inthis case the lighter may still be employed to reenergize the heatingelement by reinsertion of the plug and completion of the circuit throughthe arms 74 of special washer 66 which functions as a relight base. Itis apparent that in operation the necessary timing variations can bereadily achieved by manufacturing the elements such as the clampingshell 10, the sleeve or ring 78 and the metallic tubular socket 18, aswell as the size of the arms 62 of the contact 56 in such a manner thatthey achieve the required timing without causing circuit interruptionunder normal use.

The lighter of this invention presents many advantages. For example, itis of relatively simple construction containing relatively few movableparts and such parts may be made in large quantities upon presentlyknown manufacturing machinery. Moreover, the various elements can beassembled in a relatively simple manner and manual resetting of thelighter by either removal thereof from the instrument panel or theinsertion of a tool through the interior of the lighter to reset it iseliminated. Numerous other advantages of the lighter of this inventionwill be readialy apparent to those skilled in the art. While theembodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutepreferred forms thereof, it is to be understood that numerousmodifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of this invention. Consequently, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments except as definedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric cigar lighter, the combination comprising tubularmetallic socket means being open at one end for reception of a removableplug and adapted for connection to one side of a protected DC electriccircuit;

an electrical insulator with a central opening therethrough beingconnected to and at least partially closing the other end of said socketmeans;

metallic conductor means supported in the central opening and beingadapted for connection to the other side of the protected circuit;

a plug member insertable into said socket means and having an element tobe heated substantially to incandescence by current from the protectedDC electric circuit to which the lighter is connected;

said metallic conductor means including a bimetallic current carryinglatching contact member with a plurality of axially extending armsengaging and retaining said plug while said element thereof is beingheated, and moving away from and releasing said plug for removal fromsaid socket means when said element has been sufficiently heated foruse; and

said arms in response to excessive heat moving further from said plugand into contact with said socket means thereby creating a short causinginterruption of the protected DC electric circuit and termination ofcurrent therefrom to said lighter.

2. In an electric cigar lighter, the combination in accordance withclaim 1, and

said socket means including a tubular metallic shell and a tubularmetallic socket disposed within said shell;

said shell and socket being connected to each other at the end of saidsocket means opposite from the open end thereof, and

said arms of said bimetallic current carrying latching contact membermoving into contact with said socket member in response to excessiveheat thereby creating a short causing interruption of the protectedcircuit to which said lighter is connected 3. In an electric cigarlighter, the combination in accordance with claim 10, and

said socket means including a tubular metallic shell and a tubularmetallic socket disposed within said shell and connected thereto at theend of said socket means opposite from the open end thereof;

said socket having a plurality of slots each located in register with adifferent one of said arms of said bimetallic current carrying contactmember;

means including said electrical insulator for preventing relativemovement between said socket and conductor means to retain said arms andslots in register; and

.said arms moving through said slots and into contact with said shell inresponse to excessive heat thereby creating a short causing interruptionof the protected circuit to which said lighter is connected.

4. In an electric cigar lighter, the combination in accordance withclaim 1, and

said socket means including a tubular metallic shell and a tubularmetallic socket disposed within said shell and connected thereto at theend of said socket means opposite from the open end thereof;

to retain said arms and slots in register; and

said arms moving through said slots and into contact with said sleeve inresponse to excessive heat thereby creating a short causing interruptionof the protected circuit to which said lighter is connected.

1. In an electric cigar lighter, the combination comprising tubularmetallic socket means being open at one end for reception of a removableplug and adapted for connection to one side of a protected DC electriccircuit; an electrical insulator with a central opening therethroughbeing connected to and at least partially closing the other end of saidsocket means; metallic conductor means supported in the central openingand being adapted for connection to the other side of the protectedcircuit; a plug member insertable into said socket means and having anelement to be heated substantially to incandescence by current from theprotected DC electric circuit to which the lighter is connected; saidmetallic conductor means including a bimetallic current carryinglatching contact member with a plurality of axially extending armsengaging and retaining said plug while said element thereof is beingheated, and moving away from and releasing said plug for removal fromsaid socket means when said element has been sufficiently heated foruse; and said arms in response to excessive heat moving further fromsaid plug and into contact with said socket means thereby creating ashort causing interruption of the protected DC electric circuit andtermination of current therefrom to said lighter.
 2. In an electriccigar lighter, the combination in accordance with claim 1, and saidsocket means including a tubular metallic shell and a tubular metallicsocket disposed within said shell; said shell And socket being connectedto each other at the end of said socket means opposite from the open endthereof, and said arms of said bimetallic current carrying latchingcontact member moving into contact with said socket member in responseto excessive heat thereby creating a short causing interruption of theprotected circuit to which said lighter is connected
 3. In an electriccigar lighter, the combination in accordance with claim 10, and saidsocket means including a tubular metallic shell and a tubular metallicsocket disposed within said shell and connected thereto at the end ofsaid socket means opposite from the open end thereof; said socket havinga plurality of slots each located in register with a different one ofsaid arms of said bimetallic current carrying contact member; meansincluding said electrical insulator for preventing relative movementbetween said socket and conductor means to retain said arms and slots inregister; and said arms moving through said slots and into contact withsaid shell in response to excessive heat thereby creating a shortcausing interruption of the protected circuit to which said lighter isconnected.
 4. In an electric cigar lighter, the combination inaccordance with claim 1, and said socket means including a tubularmetallic shell and a tubular metallic socket disposed within said shelland connected thereto at the end of said socket means opposite from theopen end thereof; said socket having a plurality of slots each locatedin register with a different one of said arms of said bimetallic currentcarrying contact member; said shell being provided with a metallicsleeve encircling said slots and being spaced outwardly from saidsocket; means including said electrical insulator for preventingrelative movement between said socket and conductor means to retain saidarms and slots in register; and said arms moving through said slots andinto contact with said sleeve in response to excessive heat therebycreating a short causing interruption of the protected circuit to whichsaid lighter is connected.